Natalie doesn't need James to win Big Brother

Chanel Dubofsky is a fiction writer, journalist and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work on gender, sexuality, religion and reproductive justice has been publishing in Cosmopolitan, RH Reality Check, The Billfold, The Toast, The ...

Only one person can win Big Brother, so it's time for Natalie to come out swinging

Once upon a time on this season of Big Brother, James and Natalie made a pact with Nicole and Corey, which Nicole pretended on this week's episode that she forgot or was never actually serious about. It doesn't really matter, though, because now that Victor is the new Head of Household, he's decided to keep the other Final Four — Nicole, Corey, Victor and Paul — intact. I'm still skeptical that this won't result in Nicole and Corey being evicted in the near future, but we now have a new problem in the form of James and Natalie being up for eviction on Wednesday. It looks like it's going to be James who goes, and he totally knows he's done for. But it's Natalie who's falling apart, convinced she can't make it without James. (Natalie: "What will I do in this house without you?" James: "Win.")

Natalie. Listen to James. You don't need him to win the game; in fact, I'm pretty sure only one person wins this game, and so at some point, each of the couples is going to have to deal with that fact. James is wildly apologetic about his role in getting both of them put up for eviction. That's because he put Victor up before, and since Victor made that deal with Nicole and Corey, it's not going to be either of them, and obviously Victor would never nominate Paulie. Nicole thinks she's being super coy in regards to the game she's playing, and Twitter is accusing her of being shady. Isn't that the point of Big Brother, though? You have to make allegiances, and sometimes they're the wrong ones. If James gets the boot, I would like Natalie to figure out how to survive by herself so that she doesn't also get eliminated. It might mean she's going to have to get dirty, but I'd rather see her do that than just give up because her dude isn't there anymore.

Big Brother is a game, people. You can have the world's best showmance, but only one of you is ever going to win. So, unless you've made a pact to both end up in the jury house together, it's a good idea to get used to the idea early on that you will either have to do something underhanded or quit. I would like a woman to win this season, and at this point, out of the two women left, only Nicole is actually playing the game, although her strategy is debatable. Natalie, pull it together. You've made it this far, so don't give up and let James' (presumed) absence drive you straight into the jury house.